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Sunday School Perspective: Sign The Dotted Line (Nehemiah 9:32-38;10:28-29)

Sunday School Perspective: Sign The Dotted Line (Nehemiah 9:32-38;10:28-29)

by Minnie Malone Cook

The study of the lesson is in the book of Nehemiah 9 Chapter: Verses 32-38, Chapter 10: Verses 28-29, and it offers study about the Mosaic covenant between God and the exiles.
Key Verse: “Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly:” Nehemiah 9:33, KJV: This scripture reveals that the Levites’ acknowledged God’s power and were guilty of disobeying God.
The lesson topic for Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017 is “Sign On The Dotted Line” and this lesson emphasizes that believers must accept responsibility for our sins against God.
The objective for students and readers is to become committed to following God’s examples every day of our lives.Failure Brings Rebirth (Nehemiah 9:32-38)
The lesson unfolds as with the exiled who were now servants in their own home land finally acknowledging God’s authority and dignity as their difficulties they experienced because of their insubordinate actions and disobedience. The realized the need to confess their sins and began to appealed to God seeking his grace and mercy. It is significant that the people were greatly troubled that they made a written covenant with God that they signed. “Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day. Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly: Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them. For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works. Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it: And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress. And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.” (Verses 32-38)Signers and Terms of the Renewed Covenant (Nehemiah 10:28-29)
It is significant in these verses that the people have come to the realization of their consequences and they agree to enter a formal covenant of renewed commitment to the Law. A document was written and the leading citizens were required to sign their names making them accountable. The people committed to be obedient to the Mosaic covenant. The Israelites acknowledged the sin of their ancestors and desired to right the wrong. Each of us must understand our own predicament and make decisions to renew our commitment to the Lord. “And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding; They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;” (Verse 28-29)PRAISE THE LORD.